Normal
by BalletandBooks
Summary: A completely normal love story. PercyxAnnabeth May be a oneshot... not sure though.


**Ehh… I don't know what I'm doing…**

* * *

Romance never happens like it does in the movies. Usually, nothing is too impressionable, nothing too strange. One usually isn't a jock and the other a nerd, and though the course of true love never did run smooth, Romeo and Juliet usually don't need to declare their love so suddenly, only to have plot twists and traumas cause their love to stumble and sway. Kisses never so easily given, never like a fairytale.

* * *

5:00 AM – The Boy

_Knock knock knock _

The morning routine was familiar by now, but it didn't make him like it any more. Staying up into the wee hours of morning playing videogames with a cousin discovering puberty might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but when early morning swim practices came around, he often found himself regretting his choices. By now, though, he seemed to be unable to sleep any time that was before midnight, though was content to lie in bed until noon.

"Come on, hon, you have half an hour until you have to be at the pool," his mom, called, not opening the door for a respect of privacy regarding anything she might find. She was the kind of woman you wouldn't peg for being the mother of a senior in high school, since she'd had him young.

"Mmmh," he mumbled groggily, cracking his back and rolling his neck as he sat up, feeling everything in his body; his bones, muscles, joints. He stood up, blinking, and went over to his closet slowly, grabbing his swim bag and throwing a shirt over his bare torso. He checked to make sure he had a swimsuit to change into, as well as clothing for the rest of the day.

He walked out of his bedroom, which was as messy as you'd expect it to be, and into his kitchen. He didn't bother changing out of his pajamas because he'd shower after practice, and it's not like he was terribly concerned over his appearance anyways.

He had dark brown hair, almost black, and was tall, maybe taller than six feet. He was in pretty good shape, being a swimmer, and his skin tried as hard as it could to retain the summer swim season tan. He had friendly features, most from his mom, and green eyes, exactly like his permanently absent father's.

"Do you need a ride?" his mom asked, and he politely accepted. After a granola bar (anything else this early would make him sick), they left the apartment, silently locking the door behind them. They didn't want to wake the other two residents in their home; both held great value to the early risers.

The car ride was silent as the boy (although he was more of a man) dozed off, forehead pressed against the window of the shotgun seat, and his mother, coffee on her mind and in her system, drove on, the twenty minutes to the pool speeding by due to the lack of pre-dawn traffic.

He woke as they arrived, and grabbed his school bag and swim bag, kissed his mom good-bye as she drove away and he prepared to swim until 6:30. He'd then shower, dress, and grab a bite with his friends, who all shared a similar routine, which ended in them all being in class by 7:30. Hopefully.

* * *

6:30 AM – The Girl

She woke up at 6:30, with the alarm, as she usually did. She rolled around in bed for a bit until her father opened the door to make sure she'd gotten up. She hadn't. The lights turned on, and she dove under the familiar comforter and sheets she'd cherished since childhood.

"Come on, up." He seemed to be a track on repeat; the words had become so used, every day. His hair, a once- sandy blonde, was graying, for his stress seemed to be on repeat too. The girl rolled to face him, and the grumpiest look on a young woman's face was playing out in front of his very own, very blue eyes.

"Do I have to?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

Her father raised an eyebrow (as far as it'd go), to ask, maybe, _do you really need to ask? _

She didn't. She just hoped she'd get lucky.

Her father watched to make sure she actually got out of bed and walked with her to the bathroom to make sure she wouldn't go hide in the comforts of her room while the shower ran. She shut the door on him, and turned on the water, letting it heat up as she undressed, thinking about her plans for today. _There's art today, and maybe they'll do something worthwhile in class, _she thought, as she stepped into the lukewarm shower and let the water stream all over, _and volleyball. _

She liked volleyball. Her mom was good. Good at volleyball. She left. Then, she wasn't good at anything. 

Her showers had to be kept on the shorter side, though it didn't stop her from washing her hair (as she did every day) because it wouldn't curl right if she didn't. If they took any longer, there might not be enough hot water for everyone to have some, and since her stepmother was always the last to shower, she would be upset if there wasn't any left.

And we all know who she'd be upset with.

It was now 6:47 and the girl was picking out her clothes, but for someone who cared so much about her hair, she certainly didn't care so much for her appearance in that way. She wouldn't go so far as pajamas to school, let alone out of the house, but clothes didn't mean much to her.

Her eyes were grey, much like her mother's. She had smart features; elegant nose, high cheekbones, and light blonde hair, which, when managed properly, curled nicely. Before that, though, it was a ragged mess of ringlets, waves and frizz. Very unpleasant, she thought.

She quickly dressed and went downstairs, to where her father lay on the couch watching the news (heaven forbid he help her with anything) so she began preparing her lunch for the day in the kitchen, one room over. She didn't much like sandwiches, and instead, opted for an array of fruits, banana, strawberries, and blueberries, with some popcorn to give her the carbs she always craved.

Her father told her it was 7:02, and if she wanted to make the bus, she'd have to leave the house now. Nodding, she went over and kissed him on the head, grabbed her lunch and backpack, and walked out of her house and down the street to catch the 7:05 bus to school. She liked school most of the time; it was when she actually felt appreciated. She liked that.

The morning was dark, but the sun was peeking out from behind the trees that lined the middle-class neighborhood she lived in, she'd grown up in. The bus pulled up and she began to run, not wanting to miss the first day of the second semester. There would be new classes, and her father would never drive her to school.

The bus driver waited for her to hop on, and smiled as she took a seat, cranking the bus into drive and beginning the journey to school.

* * *

7:35 - The School

The boy was happy that there was five minutes after the bell to get to class, seeing as he was late into the building, and it would look even worse to a new teacher, who might see him as a troublemaker. That would not be okay, seeing as strange things happened to him all the time anyways, with accidents and things spilling all over the floor, food fights that just managed to be his fault (although he wasn't even really there), and people that used to be there not being there any more.

When the boy walked in at the final bell, the girl had already been sitting there for a few minutes, finding her seat and chatting with a few other girls she'd come to know in the past eleven years she'd been in the school district (since she was seven and was now eighteen.) They'd been friends, acquaintances, and some had become like sisters to her, though none of those were in her presence. Otherwise, the other girls wouldn't have even mattered.

They saw each other, the boy and the girl, but thought nothing of it. They'd been acquainted for six years, since the sixth grade, when he moved to the district, but didn't know each other, really, besides names.

As the teacher, a middle aged man who rolled around in a wheelchair, called the class to attention, the boy slipped in and took a seat at the back of the room.

"Today, class, we are going to begin with the study of a great man, William Shakespeare."

Half the class groaned, the other half cheered.

"We'll be studying him by performing from some of his greatest works, which, in my opinion, are all of them," the man told the class, and it brought chuckles from the well versed Shakespearians in the room.

Our girl and boy were not part of those cheerers, nor were they Shakespearian in the slightest. Our girl and boy were not really readers or fans of Shakespeare to begin with.

"I will now announce your groups," he kindly informed them, as they were all hoping to remain with their friends, although the possibilities were slim.

He read them off, and as it happened to turn out, our girl and boy happened to be in the same group. The class then shuffled off to their new tables, meeting and introducing themselves to their new group mates.

"Percy, right?" the girl asked the boy.

"Yeah, Anna?" he asked, but missed the mark.

"Anna_beth_," she clarified, and he shifted his eyes, unsure about what to say next.

"So, guys," he began, addressing their group of four, "What about this Shakespeare shit?"

The weeks passed and Percy and Annabeth worked on their Shakespeare assignment. They'd been assigned to a group with two other students, Pollux, an eloquent stoner (go figure), and Lacy, a girl whose awkwardness overshadowed her possibly likeable personality.

Lacy was a little lump of a teenager, still in braces and clinging to the blonde pigtails of her youth, while Pollux was lanky with blonde hair and dark eyes under a hoodie.

They'd decided on a scene from _A Midsummer Night's Dream_, one with Helena, Hermia, Lysander, and Demetrius. It was funny, and not too difficult to understand. Plus, the two boys kept themselves occupied and amused by the cleverly written sexual innuendos. The girls acted like they were above it, but when you saw the twinkle in their eyes, you knew they couldn't resist.

Percy would play Lysander, Lacy would play Hermia (as she was short and slightly dumpy…), Annabeth would play Helena (who was, of course, tall and fair), and Pollux would play Demetrius.

The four settled into their roles nicely, and often they'd find themselves at Percy's apartment rehearsing the scene (Annabeth's step-mom would never allow it, Lacy was too awkward to offer, and Pollux was too suspicious of anyone to tell them where he lived) and ending a day with a plate of very warm (and very blue) chocolate chip cookies.

"It's an inside joke," he'd laugh, and share a look with Sally, beaming with pride, that gave everyone else the impression that it really was.

Sometimes, Nico, Percy's fourteen year old cousin (on his father's side), also known as Percy's shadow, would 'supervise' (in his words) and clap at the end, if only to reap the warm, chocolaty benefits at the end.

He was slight and a little on the scrawny side, with overlong brown hair hiding his equally dark eyes and a light smattering of freckles crossing his pale cheekbones (result of a videogame addiction). Surprisingly, he wasn't annoying terribly annoying to the older kids as Annabeth had expected him to be.

Another welcome guest at their makeshift rehearsals was Percy's step-father Paul, a friendly, agreeable man (who also happened to be an English teacher) who was always ready to lend a hand and answer any Shakespearian questions the group had.

After a month of practicing, laughing, and getting to know each other (except for Pollux because he wouldn't tell anyone too much about himself), the project slowly came to a close.

On what she thought would be her last drive across town and to the cozy apartment she'd become so familiar with, Susan, the fickle stepmother, turned to Annabeth with an interesting question.

"Do you think you'll be spending time with any of your group members once your project is over?"

Annabeth thought hard. Of course she'd gotten along with them well, and they'd become… friends (?) in the past few weeks, so would they retain the friendship?

Based on past experiences with people she thought she knew…

"No," she answered briskly, and turned to face out the window. She expected advice on keeping friends, or a lecture on how she needed to branch out more, but it was quite the opposite.

"Good. I'm tired of driving down here all the time. I feel like I have to lock the doors at every stop sign."

In all honesty, Percy's neighborhood wasn't so bad. Susan, though, being raised a wealthy woman, tended to make mountains out of mole hills.

* * *

Of course, no one was in drama club, or particularly skilled at acting, so the whole group was thrilled by the 87% received on the assignment. They'd high-fived once their performance was up, and proceeded to finish class with little recognition of each other, walking in their separate directions without a single goodbye.

As she walked out, Annabeth snuck a quick glance at Percy's back. Looking back into the sea of students, she allowed herself (the current day being February 16) to be swept into the routine she'd abandoned January 22.

* * *

Saturday happened and both parties felt like they'd missed a very important event. When three o'clock rolled around, Annabeth craved Sally's cookies, and the generally light-hearted feel that came with spending time at Percy's house.

Her house felt detached by comparison, everyone plugged into their own devices, earphones blocking out the world around her little brothers, the heavy doors of her father's study locking him away from his family, and her step-mother's tinkling laughter and loud voice as she chattered away to another equally excited woman on the other line of the phone. She felt so cold.

Percy didn't seem to be the only one missing the weekly meetings, it seemed, and the whole house (or apartment, I should say) seemed to be missing the liveliness brought by the kids who'd come over.

"Percy," Sally said one weekend, coming to sit next to him on the couch as he watched a movie, _Lord of the Rings_, actually, "why don't you invite those kids from the group over again?"

He'd just roll his eyes. "Ma, they don't wanna come over." (But he secretly wished they would.)

"I wish you'd invite a friend over, though. You look so miserable here alone."

"Nah, I'm fine," he replied, going back to the movie, "I'm not really in the mood." He did, though, scoot over, and pat the empty space next to him, inviting Sally to sit with him. As she rubbed his back, as she often did when he was a child, he fell asleep (he'd always been a good sleeper then too), and she got up. She didn't really like Lord of the Stars, or Ring Wars, or whatever the movie was anyways.

She picked up the phone and called Percy's friend Grover, a scrawny kid, even at 18, and asked him to think of something to entertain her son.

* * *

Annabeth, on the other hand, was doing quite the opposite of sleeping. Her best friend, one she'd become nearly sisters with, had dragged her out, claiming to need some best friend time.

"Thalia, where are we going?" Annabeth asked, clinging to the seat of her friend's car. Thalia wasn't the most careful driver, even in the safest situations, and at that moment, was driving way faster than she should, and local law enforcement hadn't bothered to step in yet.

She looked down at the clothes she'd been instructed to wear; the tight pants and leather jacket were not exactly her in her repertoire, they belonged somewhere in Thalia's. They added to the mystery surrounding their outing for the evening, having left under Susan's command of "get out of the house and stop moping."

"Somewhere very fun, believe me." Thalia turned to Annabeth and grinned. She was an unconventional beauty, with her short, choppy (dyed) black hair, upturned nose, bright blue eyes surrounded by a thick layer of black eyeliner, freckles practically everywhere, and permanent smirk.

"Fun to you or fun to me?" She looked worriedly out the window. The sky was growing darker, and the scenery was quickly changing into the city Annabeth had grown up around- NYC.

"Me, of course. If it was up to you, we'd be watching History Channel reruns on how the pyramids were built. That was last week's activity, and I fell asleep ten minutes in."

Annabeth felt her cheeks burn up. "I thought it was interesting…"

Thalia snorted and kept flying through the streets, one hand on the steering wheel and the other turning the volume up on the already loud metal music. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

He felt as if he was being repeatedly poked with a needle. Strangely, it didn't pierce his skin, but was more of an irritating pulse against his forearm, he decided to investigate, and…

Percy woke up on the couch with his face very close to Grover Underwood's- only his best friend (and at one point, only friend) since he was twelve.

He had a long face, with reddish-brown hair and a flimsy matching goatee. He was always wearing a hat (trying to tame his hair), and on that particular day, it happened to be a black baseball cap.

"Grover? Why are you in my house?" he asked groggily, rubbing his eyes and sitting up, narrowly missing Grover's head in the way.

"We're gonna do something fun tonight!" he exclaimed, and though Percy still wasn't fully awake, he cocked his head to the side and squinted.

"My idea of fun or yours?" Grover laughed.

"Mine, of course! If it was up to you, we'd be at a swimming pool or at the beach." Percy gave him a look that said, _beaches and pools are fun!_ Grover gave him a look that said, _it's February!_

Defeated, Percy stood up and went to the door, slipping his sneakers on, and grabbed his keys off the table near the door.

"Ready?"

Grover looked shocked, appalled even.

"No way are you going like that, you'll embarrass me… again." Percy thought back on the last time he'd gone somewhere with Grover. Showing up to an opera recital in a tee-shirt and cargo shorts probably wasn't his best idea.

Looking down at his faded blue Montauk Tee-Shirt and grey sweat pants, he decided that maybe he didn't wanna be verbally abused by Grover in a parking lot.

Grover attended a lot of music functions, and enjoyed a variety of different styles. Grover being forever alone, Percy usually ended up going too, Grover always vowed to never bring him again, then invited him back the next weekend.

After being changed into some dark jeans and a grey polo shirt, along with a black jacket and red Goode High School scarf, they were out the door and into Paul's car, a blue Prius.

The two boys drove for a while, Grover constantly changing the radio station since Percy didn't have a real affiliation to any genre.

Both of them knew their way around the city well, so they quickly reached their destination: a coffee house (which really was an old abandoned warehouse.) Percy walked in expecting it to be a folksy kind of place, you know, in a comfy-coffeehouse sort of way, but it was quite the opposite.

It was very dark, with fluorescent lamps (the tall ones) scattered haphazardly throughout, and a raised stage area near the back. It was large, and there were two coffee counters on opposite sides of the space. The tables were a reflective metal, and instead of chairs, there were stools. In all, it was very industrial-like.

"Grover," Percy turned to his friend beside him, "what are we here for?"

"The Bleached Whales."

* * *

Thalia and Annabeth walked into the converted warehouse, the sound check for the band playing ending, the interference and static from the microphones and amps drawing to a close.

"What band is playing?" Annabeth asked, feeling out of place amidst the heavy-metal enthusiasts convened in the crowded concert space.

"The Bleached Whales," Thalia responded enthusiastically. "They're great!"

Annabeth nodded warily, not quite sure if she was nearly as excited as her best friend, or if she'd ever feel that way throughout the evening.

The lead singer tapped the microphone to alert the audience that they were about to begin, and the crowd let out a cheer. Dreading the sound about to begin, Annabeth thought of an easy escape, at least until the concert was over. If she was gonna be alone all night, she might as well not have a killer headache.

"Hey, I'm gonna grab a coffee, and I know you want to get closer to the stage. Let's meet up at your car after the concert, okay?"

Thalia nodded. "Sure. I'll see you later." She disappeared into the crowd, her lithe body slipping between the people.

_That was easy,_ Annabeth though, as she was prepared for a stronger argument. Across the room, Grover and Percy had a similar conversation going on.

"Are you sure? We can leave if you want," Grover was saying, but Percy just shook his head.

"Nah, its fine. I'll catch you later. If not, let's meet at the car once it's over."

Grover nodded, and went off to get a better seat, while Percy ambled over to the bar (coffee bar, duh) and got in line next to a blonde girl with curly blonde hair.

"Black coffee, please," he ordered, and as he paid his $2.50, took a closer look at the girl standing next to him through the dim lights. "Annabeth?"

She looked over at him, surprised to see him. "Percy? I didn't peg you for a heavy metal kind of guy."

Percy took his coffee from the barista man and smiled. "Nah, I came with my friend, Grover Underwood," he told her nodding in the direction of Grover's seat. "You?"

"I'm here with Thalia Grace, do you know her?" Percy raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of the scalding drink.

"Know her? She's my cousin. How do you know her?" Annabeth almost dropped the cold, sweet drink she was just handed by the woman behind the counter.

"I know her from volleyball stuff- we met a couple years ago. I had no clue you two were related" Now that he mentioned it, there were similarities, most of them in the way their hair all stuck up in similar ways, and maybe in the way their eyes crinkled, and the shape of the face.

"Yep. I'm guessing she didn't tell you. Doesn't surprise me." Annabeth shook her head and changed the subject.

"So, didn't peg you for a black coffee guy either. I thought you'd order something sweeter." He shrugged, unfazed by the subject change.

Too much sugar's not good for me… ADHD." Annabeth raised an eyebrow, questioning how the caffeine was okay. He read her mind. "Caffeine doesn't affect me anymore; I seem to be immune at this point."

"I just don't see how anyone could like it black," Annabeth responded, fingering the frappuccino in her hand.

"Well, yours seems to be the mother of all sugary drinks," he teased, and she blushed, barely visible in the strange lights.

"Hey, you two," a fat man yelled form behind them, "you're holding up the line!"

The two of them moved swiftly around the people and outside the doors, where the music's blast was muffled slightly by the heavy doors that closed behind them.

"Finally, some quiet," Percy sighed, slumping down the wall and onto the grass. Annabeth slid down next to him, regretting the icy frappuccino she'd opted for earlier as the frost started to tickle her fingers.

"I always regret coming to these things," she told him, "the only thing that happens is a major headache."

"I know how you feel," Percy replied, "Grover always drags me to these concerts; I never know what to expect."

And so the evening went on, and they talked about everything and anything (but nothing too personal) until their cheeks were red and their noses numb.

* * *

Around eleven thirty, maybe closer to midnight, the band finished its last song, and the Bleached Whales stepped off the tiny stage and around to the back where they made a hasty retreat.

Grover stumbled out first, high with the excitement that came with seeing a wonderful band play many wonderful songs.

"Dude!" he exclaimed as he jogged over to where Percy and Annabeth had been sitting. "That was the coolest thing I've ever heard!"

Percy rolled his eyes and stood, offering a hand to Annabeth and pulling her up as well. Grover's new favorite band, or music genre, or really anything was as constant as a hyperactive four year old; ever-changing.

"I'm sure it was, buddy." With an obviously tired and overly-excited best-friend on one side, and new friend on the other, there wasn't much else Percy could do but bid good-bye to his companion of the evening.

"Hey, Annabeth," he leaned over and gave her a one-armed hug. "It was nice talking to you. See you Monday!" With a wave, he was off, but then he looked back. "Oh yeah; if you get the chance, tell Thalia that Nico and I miss her and we should spend some time together. You should come too." Annabeth nodded, and waved, and watched as they got into their car, a blue Prius that looked too dorky to be their car, and didn't even notice she was wearing his scarf until after they'd driven away.

At first, she was surprised, for she didn't remember even taking it from him in the first place, and then she thought about it. She'd been cold, and the jacket wasn't as warm as she thought it was. Teeth chattering from the iced coffee drink, Percy offered it to her, and despite the protests that her brain was making (_he's making a move on you, he wouldn't be so nice otherwise_) she followed her body's decision to be warm rather than cold, and she took the scarf.

As she was unraveling the scarf from around her neck, Thalia staggered out of the coffee shop, giddy from the pleasure the evening had given her.

"Annabeth, they gave a smashing performance. Bleached Whales are gonna sell out arenas some day." She looked over her shoulder and took a napkin with a phone number hastily scrawled on it. "The lead singer gave me his number!"

"That's great!" Annabeth hugged her friend and ushered her to the car. "Can we go now, though? I'm tired and cold from being out all night talking to Percy Jac-"

Thalia stopped in the middle of the parking lot, causing a beat-up little yellow car to stop abruptly and its driver to spew obscenities from the open window. Annabeth apologized and quickly led Thalia away from any cars.

"What the hell were you going talking to my cousin?" she asked and got in her car, slamming the door behind her. Annabeth followed.

"What do you mean? He was dragged here too, and since we worked together on a project, I-"

"You worked with him and you didn't tell me?" Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Well, I didn't know he was your cousin, why should you care? Why do you care so much anyways?" Thalia turned on the car and backed out of the parking lot.

"It's a long story," Thalia said automatically.

"We have a long drive."

* * *

There were three brothers: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. Strange names? Yes. Their parents were enthralled by Greek mythology, and when each boy came along, they gave them a Greek name. They began with their eldest child named Hades, and when another one came along, Poseidon, and when they had their third and final child, a son, they named him Zeus.

These three boys were not the most responsible young men, and being that way, they each managed to impregnate a woman without marrying her first.

While Nico, Hades' son, and Percy, Poseidon's, had sane women and loving homes to be born into, while Thalia was born to a washed-up actress with an alcohol addiction.

Needless to say, when Thalia's mom decided that she'd had enough of being a mom, Thalia was separated from her and went into a foster home.

On the other hand, when Bianca and Maria (Nico's sister and mother) were killed because of a fit of Zeus' anger (not that the cops showed up, because there was no proof, and Zeus was a wealthy man), Nico and Percy had stuck together, since Sally and Maria had known each other well.

Thalia was just… out of the picture. She'd met Percy and Nico, when they were kids, but she doubted they remembered her.

* * *

"Of course they remember you!" Annabeth exclaimed when the story was over and they were almost at her house. Thalia was spending the night. "Actually, Percy says that he and Nico miss you and would like to get together sometime." Thalia didn't say anything, two hands on the wheel and eyes forward, unblinking.

They arrived at Annabeth's house and Thalia parked in the street, unsure if the Chase's would need their driveway the next morning.

They got out of the car in silence, Thalia's brooding expression visible under the yellow glow of the streetlamps. The only sound on the street was the click on the locks of Thalia's car. She'd saved up for months to buy it, working odd jobs and reluctantly babysitting neighborhood children (whom she hated).

Annabeth ran ahead of Thalia and unlocked the front door, and upon entering, found Fredrick, her stern father, waiting in the stuffed armchair by the fireplace and the television (conveniently placed next to each other).

"Girls," he began, and Annabeth cut him off.

"Dad, we're going upstairs now. Goodnight." Annabeth marched upstairs, Thalia at her heels. After a while, the light downstairs went out, and the TV clicked off. In Annabeth's room, they breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally," Thalia whisper-yelled and put her boots on over her pajama pants, "we can go."

Annabeth had been snuggling into the blankets of her bed and looked to Thalia, confusion written on her features.

"What?"

Thalia rolled her eyes at her friend. "Come on, Annabeth. You said Percy and Nico wanted to hang out, and I might as well get it over with." Annabeth opened her mouth to protest, but Thalia beat her to it. "No protests missy. Let's go."

Annabeth sighed in defeat. She knew better than to argue with her best friend, and didn't really mind the punishment she'd get if they were caught. She didn't really mind seeing Percy again either (or his family, but that was just an added mini-bonus).

As silently as possible, the two snuck out of the house, and Annabeth was sure to bring the house key with her.

They rolled the car down the street a bit before hopping in and turning it on, the rumbling of the engine shattering the silence on the empty street.

"Ready?" Annabeth asked, and Thalia nodded.

"Ready."

* * *

By comparison, Percy's evening had been much less dramatic. He dropped Grover off and then went on his way home. He went up the elevator and walked to the front door of his apartment. After finding his keys and struggling with the lock, Percy pushed the door open and closed it behind him as quietly as possible. He locked the door (just to be safe) and went to his room, immediately changing into flannel pajama pants and a tee-shirt before brushing his teeth and falling into bed.

He'd thought about Annabeth, a little, and about Thalia, but he'd really just been thinking about his chances for swimming scholarships and that new videogame coming out, and if Batman was actually as good as he thought it was. (He was right- it was really good) Once he was home, though, his mind played the message "sleep" over and over until its mission was accomplished.

So, as Percy lay snoring away, Nico was in his bed tossing and turning. Why? It's not hard to explain.

Nico used to have a birth mom and a sister. Then, they died. He thought about them all the time. He missed them too. But he was happy with Sally and Paul and Percy. He just missed his old family a lot.

Nico was thinking about that (as he usually would) when he heard a sharp rap on his window. His room had the window with the fire escape, so it was obvious someone was out there from the silhouettes they made against the moon. . Although he was fourteen, Nico didn't think it wise to go check who, or what, was outside.

He did the next best thing, since asking Paul or Sally would certainly end in the police. He got Percy.

* * *

Percy was not the easiest person to wake up. Actually, you could get him _up_; just not get his _brain_ up along with the rest of his body.

Nico left his room as the tapping continued, and went to the next room over. He opened the door wincing as it creaked, and crept over to the bed.

"Percy," he whispered, and shook him slightly. It didn't work, so he tried two or three times with equally dismal results. Nico groaned, and in his fear that an intruder would be in his room soon, jumped on Percy's head and grabbed a lock of hair.

"Help me!" he whisper-yelled while pulling the hair. Percy started awake and groaned.

"What?" he asked, irritated, closing his eyes and leaning back on the pillow.

"Percy, there's someone outside my window knocking. I swear, someone's actually there," Nico told him, and Percy rolled his eyes. Nico had an active imagination, and it wouldn't be the first time he'd been woken from his sleep to face 'monsters', 'demons', or 'strange men',

He got up and with Nico's lead, he got up and shuffled to the next room over, where there, to Percy's surprise, were actual people at the window.

* * *

"Thalia, let's go. No one's coming, and it has to be, like, thirty degrees out here." Annabeth's teeth were chattering, and she swore she felt little flakes of snow beginning to fall.

"Afraid of the snow flurries?" Thalia teased, and she leaned against the thin bars of the fire escape. "They'll be here, I know it."

And Thalia was right. After ten minutes, the girls heard the creak of the windows being forced open. They stood up, and in the window frame was a bleary-eyed Percy and an owlish Nico, eyes wide and head cocked to one side.

"Annabeth?" he asked, and looked to see Thalia. "Who's she?"

Percy hadn't moved yet, and seemed to be in a sleep-induced confusion. "Its night-time," he mumbled, "so why is Annabeth at my house?"

Thalia was the only one with enough sense to move the conversation along somewhere other than the fire escape. "Are we gonna stand here all night or will you let us in?"

Nico seemed far more confused than Percy although he had the advantage of full consciousness, so he looked to his elder cousin for guidance.

"Well sure," Percy said stupidly, seeing as Thalia had already weaseled her way into the bedroom, "come on in."

* * *

Soon enough, they found themselves seated in Percy's kitchen around an aging, round, wood table.

"So… you're my cousin?" Nico asked for the fifth time, and Thalia nodded, grabbing the cup of cocoa Percy handed her.

"Yep. Our dads are brothers." She sipped the drink and quickly placed it back down on the table. "Oww! I buwnd ma tongue!" She went to the sink and ran her tongue under the cool stream.

From his place at the table, Percy glanced at her, and wrinkled his eyebrows together. (Somewhere deep inside, Annabeth thought this was cute, but she didn't really know it. Yet.)

"So where have you been?" Nico asked, still unsure of the situation.

"Since my mom was a crazy bitch," Thalia explained, "I was… unacquainted with the two of you, for the most part. I last saw you when you were a baby. Actually, I'm surprised you remembered me, Percy."

Percy felt a little more alert now that he had been up for a while.

"Yeah, I mean, I remembered you, but I didn't really know what you looked like," he told her, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "I thought you still had red hair."

Annabeth stifled a laugh. "Red?"

"I keep it up," Thalia said, fingering the dyed strands. "Can't you see me as a ginger?"

They all laughed, and it was the start of a beautiful friendship.

* * *

So… that's it for now. I hope you like it.


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